Some 2018 iPad Pros Ship Bent in The Box! Apple Calls it Normal?

Apple’s ‘bendgate’ fiasco might have made a re-entry. According to the latest reports and posts on Mac Rumors Forum, the newly released thinner Apple iPad Pro is susceptible to bending right at the middle which has led to a frenzy among Apple iPad Pro 2018 users as there is no concrete statement from the tech giant whether they must report and get a replacement from Apple or apply for AppleCare. Here’s what the reports concerning the bending situation states.

Its just been a few weeks after iPad Pro 2018 was launched. Based on the claims and the photographs shared on forums, the newest and thinnest iPad Pros are easily susceptible to bending right at the middle. However, it took the Cupertino-based giant some time to acknowledge an issue, however, it hasn’t classified this issue as a defect.

To summarize the bending situation, iPad Pros are thinner than previous iterations. The tablets are made up of aluminum fused together to form a shell wherein al the components are housed inside with a retina display on the front. A user posted on a website that he noticed his iPad Pro slightly curved at the middle section after some time of usage. He conveyed the same to Apple, however, the staff were adamant to agree to the situation and asked for a replacement charge of $49.00.

Further, he reported the issue via a post which went viral among users who realized that their units had a similar curved middle portion too. As of now, we know that the bending fiasco is either out-of-the-box or after few days or weeks of light usage. On the other hand, Apple acknowledged the issue, however, didn’t classify it as a defect. Instead, it stated that the bending was occurred due to iPad Pro 2018 manufacturing process where aluminum and plastic units were manufactured using a cooling process.

The tech giant further stated that the affected units aren’t susceptible to bends since these units are free from any defect and the bending doesn’t contribute escalating the issue. Zack from YouTube Channel ‘JerryRigEverything’ was among the first to classify iPad Pro 2018 with weak structural integrity after the unit he tested failed to steer clear of the bend test he performed. The unit simply broke right from the middle where the microphone is situated which is considered to be its weakest point. However, his bend test was soon disqualified as a potential proof towards the structural integrity of the tablet because of an uncanny and unrealistic situation he subjected the tablet in.

Anyhow, the problem seems to be because two aluminum halves and a plastic strip that runs between that doubles as antenna line too. More importantly, the problem affects LTE models of both 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros 2018 raising concerns among users as it ignites a similar #bendgate situation iPhone 6 Plus was discovered back in 2014.

As of now, Apple hasn’t provided any input on whether these affected iPad Pros are subjected to replacements. So if you are an iPad Pro 2018 user, you’ll have to stick with the tablet for some more days until Apple presses an official statement whether or not these affected units will be covered with free replacement or if it will be subjected to AppleCare claim.